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A chevron (also spelled cheveron, especially in older documents) is a V-shaped pattern. The word is usually used in reference to a kind of fret in architecture, or to a badge or insignia used in military or police uniforms to indicate rank or length of service, or in heraldry and the designs of flags (see flag terminology).

Contents 1 Heraldry 1.1 Origin 1.2 Gallery 2 Rank insignia 2.1 Examples 2.2 Other uses as insignia 3 Punctuation 4 Road markings 5 Other usages 5.1 Corporate logos 5.2 Geology 5.3 Sports team colors 6 See also 7 References

A Chevron in Hearaldy means: protection; Builders or others who have accomplished some work of faithful^[1]. When shown as a smaller size than standard, it is a diminutive called a chevronel.

The origin seems to be the shape of the rafter of a building. It has been used early in the history of heraldry, especially in Normandy. In Scandinavia the Chevron is known as "spar" and is used on arms since the times of crusades (Example: Arvid Gustavsson Sparre).

Trans is a municipality in the district of Hinterrhein in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.

Bolligen is a municipality in the Bern administrative district of the canton of Bern, Switzerland.

The flag of the North American Vexillological Association.

In British Military usage, the idea of using chevrons to denote rank came from whereabouts NCOs were placed in the line in infantry units. In Napoleonic times, units would form up in large, uniform blocks. Lance Corporals (and equivalents) would have marked the corner of a fire team, Corporals the corner of a squad, and Sergeants the corner of a Platoon. This led to the stylised drawing of different numbers of right angles on the sleeves, to denote corners. Over time these turned into the stylised chevrons worn today.

In areas observing Commonwealth of Nations or United States doctrine, chevrons are used as an insignia of enlisted or NCO rank by land military forces and by police. One chevron usually designates a private, two a corporal, and three a sergeant. One to four "rockers" may be also be incorporated to indicate various grades of sergeant. In American usage, chevrons typically point up, or on shoulderboards towards the neck; in Commonwealth usage (and in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force), they usually point down, or on shoulderboards away from the neck.

In the Commonwealth, the correct terminology for rank chevrons includes the number of stripes, called "bars", therefore, the image on the right hand side is properly termed a "3-bar chevron". A 1-bar chevron indicates a Private in the Canadian Army or Lance Corporal in other Commonwealth armies, a 2-bar chevron indicates a Corporal, and a 3-bar chevron a Sergeant. Canadian Forces often refer to chevrons as "hooks."

Single Chevron-Rank: Private E2, US Army.

Double Chevron-Rank: Corporal E4, US Army.

Sergeant, British Army and Royal Marines.

NATO Code OR-4 Specialist/Petty Officer 3

Small chevrons are part of the insignia to indicate length of time serving in some armies. They are worn on the lower left sleeve.

During the first and second Gulf Wars "western" forces displayed single-element (only one chevron) on many, if not all, of their armoured vehicles.

This may have interesting connections with the use of the chevron pointing upward and also pointing to the right in war machines. This display of the chevron was also seen in Israili vehicles.

As a part of punctuation, chevrons (also known as guillemets or angle quotes) usually act as quotation marks, particularly in Spanish and French. Examples would be ‹single quotes› and «double quotes». In German they are used as well, but in inverted form: ›single quotes‹ and »double quotes«. Chevrons are also used in Chinese punctuation, often to enclose the titles of books: ︿ and ﹀ or ︽ and ︾ for traditional vertical printing, and 〈 and 〉 or 《 and 》 for horizontal printing.

They are also used as road markings in some stretches of British and Canadian motorways, to help drivers gauge the distance to the car in front, and also on signs on sharp corners in order to denote the tightness of the bend.

The French automobile firm Citroën uses a logo commonly referred to as a pair of chevrons, though it originates in the shape of the teeth of special type of gears which that firm made prior to its entering the car business.

The British television company Yorkshire Television used a Y-shaped symbol known as "the chevron" as its logo, from when its broadcasts began in July 1968 until the company was absorbed into the newly-formed ITV plc in February 2004.

The Chevron Corporation's logo is a pair of chevrons, one blue and one red.

Pony International, an American apparel and shoe company, adorns most of its shoes with a chevron, its logo.

In the Microsoft Windows operating system, the name "chevron" is used for a menu that contains the toolbar icons which do not fit in the space available on the toolbar.

In the Stargate science fiction universe, the outer ring of the Stargate device feature nine chevrons. In normal use, seven chevrons lock in to place as a destination Stargate is dialed.

Boeing calls some of its afterburner jets "variable-geometry chevrons".

The term chevron has been used to refer to a geologic feature found in coastal regions all over the world. According to an article in The New York Times, chevron is a "enormous wedge-shaped sediment deposit," possibly created by an enormous tsunami after an asteroid impact. However, this idea is very controversial; many scientists believe these features are generated by wind. Similar features, called parabolic dunes, are found on the interior of continents, where they could not be explained by tsunamis. Also, tsunamis usually leave thin sheet-like deposits of sand that do not have the distinct chevron shape.

The chevron design, with the point downwards, is a popular design for team kits in the sport of rugby league. The World Champions, Australia, feature a gold chevron on a green background.

The team colors of the 2007 World Club Champions, St Helens RFC, are a red chevron on a white shirt.

• Petrosomatoglyph Chevron symbolism.

v • d • e The Heraldry Series
Blazon • Cadency • Canting arms • Coat of arms • Officers of Arms Badge • Crest • Compartment • Mantling • Mon • Quartering • Shield • Supporters • Heraldic flags

v • d • e The Blazon Series
Charge • Divisions • Field • Lines • Ordinary • Tincture Bend • Canton • Chevron • Chief • Cross • Fess • Flaunch • Pall • Pale • Saltire